Key facts
- Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to delay their $111 billion merger.
- The merger will not be completed until five days after a judge rules on the case's merits or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.
- Twelve states, led by California and New York, sued to block the deal, citing antitrust concerns.
- A judge previously found the merger likely to substantially reduce competition and violate antitrust laws.
- The Writers Guild of America also agreed to the delay, having filed its own lawsuit against the merger.
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to delay their proposed $111 billion merger until after a court ruling on its legality. The agreement, filed in court, prevents the companies from combining their operations until five days after a judge rules on the merits of the case, or until June 1, 2027, whichever occurs first.
This delay was also agreed to by the Writers Guild of America, which has filed its own lawsuit to block the merger. New York Attorney General Letitia James' office described the halt as a "months-long" pause and a "critical victory" in protecting the film and television industries.
Paramount stated that the outcome allows for a direct path to trial to prove the transaction is beneficial for competition, consumers, and creators. The lawsuit was initiated by 12 states, led by California, after the merger received approval from the Trump administration. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the US District Court for the Northern District of California had previously found that the deal was likely to substantially reduce competition and violate antitrust laws.